Fender for ships, piers, and the like



July 29, 1947. c. FJSCHWALL, JR 2,424,635

FENDER FOR SHIPS, PIERS, AND THE LIKE I a Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed 00%. 51, 1945 I INVENTOR. Chester E Sbhwall Jr.

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4TTORNEYi:

July 29, 1947.

C. F. SCHWALL, JR

FENDER FOR SHIPS, PIERS, AND THE LIKE Filed 001:. 31, 1945 5 Sheets-SheetZ INVENTOR. I Chester E 'SchWaZl J:

(9M he 4 T TORNEY July 29, 1947. c. F. SCHWALL, JR

FENDER FOR SHIPS, PIERS, AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 001. 31, 1945 INVENTOR. Chester- F. Schwall Jr.

Patented July 29, 1947 FENDER FOR SHIPS, PIERS, AND THE LIKE Chester F. Schwall, Jr., Akron, Ohio, assignor to The General Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 31, 1945, Serial No. 625,773

10 Claims.

This invention relates to fenders or bumpers for structures such as ships, piers and the like, to absorb the shock of collision of a ship against a ship or of a ship against a pier.

One object of the invention is to utilize the elasticity of spaced bodies of elastic rubber to absorb collision impacts and prevent damage to the colliding structures.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a cushioning structure of the character described which is buoyant and capable of floating alongside a ship or pier.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cushioning structure composed of parts that can be quickly and easily assembled and in which the cushioning is accomplished by means of a large number of identical rubbe cushioning members.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a cushioning structure that has great longitudinal rigidity but which is transversely .compressible so that impact thrusts are distributed throughout the length of the cushioning structure.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may be said to comprise the bumpe as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ship equipped with fenders embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the fenders;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the fender;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line indicated at 44 in Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of the fender on an enlarged scale with a part broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation on the same scale as Fig. 5, showing one end of a fender, a portion being broken away to show one of the tow cable attaching members; i

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary top plan view of an end of the fender on the same scale as Figs. 5 and 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the rubber cushioning rings, a portion of which is broken away and shown in section;

. Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line indicated at 99 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing a pier equipped with a floating fender embodying the invention;

Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line indicated the same together.

2 at l|ll in Fig. 10, the section being on an enlarged scale;

Fig, 12 is a side elevation of a pier equipped with a modified form of fender embodying the invention;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of one of the fenders shown in Fig. 12 viewed as indicated at l3-i3 in Fig. 12, and

Fig. 14 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on the line indicated at I l-Hi in Fig. 12, portions of the structure being broken away to reduce the length of the view.

Refer-ring to the accompanying drawings, a ship A is shown which is equipped with spaced derricks B and having a floating fender C along side each of the derricks. Each of the derricks B has a hoist cable I that is connected to one of the fenders C and tow cables 2 are attached to the front and rear ends of the fenders and to anchoring members 3 on the ship, the cables 2 extending forwardly and rearwardly from the fenders C and being of a length suflicient to permit the fenders to float freely in the water alongside the ship.

The construction of the fender of the present invention is shown in Figs. 2 to 9 of the drawings and, as best shown in Fig, 4:, the fender has a center pol-e Q of cylindrical form and a series of outer poles 5 also of cylindrical form which are distributed circumierentially around. the center pole i. As herein shown there are six of the outer poles 5 and these poles are spaced apart by means of rubber spacing rings 6 mounted at spaced intervals on each of the poles 5. The poles 5 are preferably of the same size and have identical rings 6 of elastic rubber mounted thereon and so arranged that each of the rings 6 engages the center pole 4 and the poles 5 on opposite sides of the pole on which it is mounted, the ring 6 of each pole 5 being spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit entry of the rings of other poles between them. The rings 6 space the poles 5 uniformly about the center pole 4 and provide resilient cushions between the poles.

To provide the necessary buoyancy for floating fenders the individual poles i and 5 should be of a weight per unit of volume less than water. Poles of wood such as shown herein fulfill this requirement. In order to increase buoyancy and to improve the cushioning action, the rings 6 may each be provided with an annular cavity 7 and if desired provision such as a fitting 8 may be pro- Vided for inflating the ring.

The poles 5 and 5 are bound together to hold the rings 6 in contact with adjacent poles and to bind the poles and cushioning elements together in a compact unit by means of suitable elastic bands 9 that encircle the poles and bind Each band 9 may be in the form of a strip of rubber wrapped spirally about the poles under tension and in a plurality of layers to firmly hold the poles together in a compact assembly. The ends of the rubber strip forming the band may be attached as shown at It and H in Fig. 4. For example, a strip of elastic rubber one inch square in section may be wound about the poles under a tension of about five hundred pounds, the strip being wound in convolutions side by side and in a plurality of layers superimposed one upon the other. Successive bands are preferably wrapped in opposite directions to equalize twisting forces. The poles may be displaced relative to one another when the spacing rings 6 are compressed due to lateral pressure, but the rings 6 together with the elastic bands 9 will return the poles to their original positions when the pressure is released.

As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and '7, retaining plates l2 are attached to the ends of three of the poles 5 which have cushioning rings 8 at their ends, the plate [2 projecting past the periphery of the poles to hold the cushioning ring in place. The endmost cushioning rings of the other three poles 5 are held in place by the rings ii that are retained by the plates I2.

Two horizontally alined poles 5 at each end of the fender are provided with caps 13 which are bolted thereto and which provide attachments for the opposite ends of towing bridles N that are connected to the tow cables 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, the hoisting cable I has an attaching ring l5 at its lower end to which the ends of diverging hoist bridles is are attached. Each of the bridles i6 is attached at its ends to the ring l5 and extends at an inclination from the ring l5 toward an end of the fender. Each bridle i3 is in the form of a cable loop that passes through openings I! extending diametrically through oppositely disposed poles 5 at an angle to the axis corresponding to the slant of the bridle, as shown in Fig. 5, and then downwardly through vertical diametrical openings I8 in two other poles 5 and beneath a fifth pole at the bottom of the group as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The bridle i6 thus serves to suspend the fender C in substantially horizontal position from the hoist cable vI so that the fender can be hoisted onto the deck of a ship or lowered from the deck to the water.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a pier D is equipped with a floating fender E which is connected to the pier by means of anchoring cables 20 attached to opposite ends of the fenders and connected to anchoring members 2| attached to the pier, the cables 28 being of sufficient length to permit the fender to block freely. The lender is composed of cylindrical poles 25 provided with spaced cushioning and spacing rings 26 of elastic rubber, the poles being bound together by means of an elastic band 29. The poles and spacers may be identical with the poles and spacers employed in the modification first described. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, however, the fender comprises three poles 25 which are bound together by the elastic band 29, with the spacing rings 2% of each of the poles in engagement with the other two poles. The bands 29 are similar to the bands 9 previously described and successive bands may be wrapped in opposite directions about the poles if desired to balance the thrust on the poles due to the tension of the bands.

Upon impact of a ship against one of the fenders E, the pressure will tend to force the outer of the poles toward the inner poles, compressing the rings 26 and flattening the fender. As soon as pressure is released the elasticity of the spacing rings and band 29 will return the fender to its original shape.

In Figs. 12 to 14 pier F is equipped with a series of fenders G each of which consists of three poles 35 carrying cushioning rings 36 and held together by elastic bands 39. The poles, cushioning rings and elastic bands may be identical with the corresponding elements of the fenders shown in Figs. 10 to 13. The fenders, however, in this modification are supported in upright position upon a ledge 45} that extends outwardly from the pier below the water line. The ledge 40 is preferably recessed to provide a flat bottom pocket 4| in which the lower ends of the poles 35 are free to slide. The pockets 4! are of a size to permit the necessary relative movements of the poles, but are small enough to restrict the movement of the lower end of the fender and to position the lower end of the fender. The upper ends of the fenders are connected by [cables 52 to attaching members 43 carried by the pier F. The cables 39 are sufficiently slack to permit a limited lateral movement of the upper ends of each of the fenders G, but the fenders are supported by the cables 39 and ledges 40 in substantially upright position.

In each of the modifications disclosed, the lon gitudinal poles provide a fender with great longitudinal rigidity so that impacts anywhere intermediate the ends of the fender are distributed to the cushioning elements throughout the length of the fender so that severe localized impact thrust against the side of a ship or a pier are prevented.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the specific devices herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A fender comprising a series of poles, longitudinally spaced elastic rubber cushioning rings mounted on certain of said poles, said rings being staggered to permit the individual rings to engage adjacent poles between the rings on said poles, and flexible means for binding said poles together in substantially parallel relation with each pole engaging rings of other poles.

2. A fender comprising a series of poles, longitudinally spaced elastic rubber cushioning rings mounted on certain of said poles, said rings being staggered to permit the individual rings to enage adjacent poles between the rings on said poles, and elastic rubber bands encircling the poles at longitudinally spaced points to bind the poles together in substantially parallel relation with the poles spaced by said rings.

3. A fender comprising a series of cylindrical poles of substantially the same diameter, elastic spacing members for the poles comprising identical rubber rings on the poles and spaced apart throughout the length of the poles, the rings on adjacent poles being staggered to permit the rings to engage adjacent poles between the rings on the said poles, and elastic rubber bands encircling the poles and under tension to bind the poles together in substantially parallel relation with the poles spaced by said rings.

4. A fender comprising a series of poles disposed in substantially parallel relation, elastic spacing members on said poles comprising hollow rubber rings spaced apart along the length of certain of said poles, the spacing rings of each pole engaging adjacent poles between the spacing rings on the adjacent poles, and elastic rubber bands under tension encircling said poles and binding the same together.

5. A floating fender for protecting structures adjacent the water line comprising a series of parallel buoyant poles, longitudinally spaced elastic rubber rings mounted on certain of the poles, each or" the rings being engageable with poles adjacent the pole upon which it is mounted to space the poles, elastic rubber bands encircling the poles and under tension to bind the poles together to provide a cushioning unit, and flexible means connecting said unit to the structure to be protected and permitting movement of said unit relative to said structure.

6. A floating fender comprising a series of parallel buoyant cylindrical poles, hollow rubber rings mounted on certain of said poles and engageable with adjacent poles, elastic bands encircling the poles under tension to bind the poles together spaced by said rings to provide a cushioning unit, and cables flexibly connecting said unit to the structure to be protected and permitting said unit to float alongside the structure.

'7. A ship fender comprising a series of poles, elastic rubber spacing rings on certain of the poles and engageable with other poles intermediate the spacing rings on the other poles, elastic rubber bands encircling the poles under tension to bind them together in parallel relation spaced by said rings to form a cushioning unit, towing cables connecting opposite ends of the unit to the ship, and hoisting means connected to said unit.

8. A fender comprising a series of cylindrical poles of substantially the same diameter, a series of longitudinally spaced elastic rubber cushioning rings of the same external diameter on each of said poles, elastic bands encircling said poles and under tension to bind the poles together in parallel relation spaced by said rings.

9. A fender comprising a central cylindrical pole, a series of outer cylindrical poles of uniform size spaced apart around the central pole, a series of elastic rubber spacing rings of uniform size upon each of said outer poles, and elastic bands encircling said poles under tension to bind the same together with each of said rings engaging the central pole and the outer poles adjacent the pole upon which it is mounted.

10. The combination with a pier having a vertical wall extending above and below the water line and a horizontal ledge extending outwardly from the wall below the water line, of a cushioning unit comprising a series of vertical poles slidably supported at their lower ends on said ledge, spaced elastic rubber cushioning and spacing rings mounted on said poles and engaging adjacent poles, elastic bands encircling said poles under tension to bind the same together with the poles spaced apart by said cushioning rings to form a cushioning unit, and means loosely connecting the upper end of said unit to the pier.

CHESTER SCHWALL, JR. 

